A vehicle seat typically includes foam cushions that separate an occupant from a rigid frame and that are compressible to conform to the contours of the occupant so that the occupant is comfortably supported. Flexible covers, such as fabric, leather, or vinyl, cover the foam cushions and form the outer surface of the seat. A vehicle seat is typically characterized by a lower seat portion and a seatback portion. The lower seat portion defines a generally horizontal surface to support an occupant, and the seatback portion defines a generally vertical surface to support the back of an occupant.
Certain vehicle seats are constructed such that the flexible covers are mounted directly to the foam cushions by adhesive distributed across a large percentage of the contact area between the covers and the cushions. Accordingly, the covers closely follow the contours of the cushions, thereby providing the seats with a “molded” appearance.
Prior art techniques to bond a contoured seat cover to a seat cushion include usage of a thermally-activated adhesive such as a polyamide hot melt for the bonding operation. In certain seat styles where it is desirable to bond a large surface area of the cover to the seat cushion, a prior art technique includes spraying a hot melt adhesive on the seat cushion or cover and then joining the two members together. Prior art techniques also include applying adhesive between the cover and the cushion and then use heated dies or steam. The use of steam is not compatible with leather or vinyl seat cover because steam cannot pass through impermeable covers.